Schengen visa documentation checklist

SCHENGEN VISA DOCUMENTATION CHECKLIST

The scope of this checklist: This checklist provides an overview of the documentation which must be submitted to the Embassy in Tokyo at the time of application for a visa to Denmark or Iceland. For information how to apply and how to make an appointment, please see the Schengen visa application procedure page.

When to submit documentation: All documentation including the signed cover letter printed from the online application, must be submitted during the applicant’s visit to the Embassy. At any time during the visa application process, the Embassy may require the applicant to provide further documentation, in addition to what is mentioned in this checklist. If the applicant fails to provide the required documentation within the deadline set by the Embassy, the application may be rejected.

Requirements for documents: A) Documents must be size A4. B) Documents must be printed on one-side only. C) If an original document has print on both front and back of the paper, the applicant must also provide copies of each side of the document, with print on only one side. D) Documents must be without staples and not attached to other documents in any other way. E) Documents which are not written in English or Danish, must be accompanied by a translation into English.

In case of doubt: The Embassy does not offer individual guidance about documentation. For additional details about documentation, and in case of doubt, please follow the instructions on the documentation page. Kindly do not contact the Embassy about documentation.

Please note: submission of all the listed documentation does not in itself guarantee that a visa will be issued. The applicant must never assume that a visa will be issued until explicitly informed by the Embassy.

General list of documents which must be submitted for all purposes of travel:

Cover letter printed from the Visa Self Service website: The cover letter must be printed out and signed by the applicant at the time of online application. The Embassy cannot print out the cover letter because the Embassy does not have access to the applicant’s personal online profile. It is not possible to apply without the signed cover letter.

A passport photo: The photo must measure 35mm x 45mm. The distance from the applicant's chin to the top of the applicant's head should measure between 30mm and 36mm. The photograph should bear a close resemblance to the applicant's current appearance and the applicant should be facing the camera directly.

Valid passport or other valid travel document: The travel document must be valid at least 3 months after expiry date of the Schengen visa which is applied for. The first issue of the document must be within the last 10 years. Regardless whether the validity of the passport has been extended one or more times, the total period of time since the first issue of the passport must be less than 10 years. The travel document must have at least 2 blank pages – one page for the visa and one page for immigration entry and exit stamps. The travel document must be listed as an accepted travel document in the Visa Code Handbook Annex 10. The travel document must be listed as accepted by all the countries that the applicant intends to visit in the Schengen area. The travel document is accepted if it is marked green in the list.

Copy of the passport or travel document: A4 size copies must be provided for: A) The data page (the page with the name, photo, birthday etc.). B) All pages in the passports which have information, visas, stamps, observations or other notations. C) Empty visa pages do not need to be included in the copy.

Proof of travel medical Insurance: Family members of EU and Swiss nationals are exempt from requirements of travel insurance. For all others, the travel medical insurance must: A) Have a minimum coverage of 30,000 EURO. B) As minimum cover medical treatment and repatriation in case of illness (repatriation means return to the traveller’s country of residence). C) The insurance must be valid for the entire stay in the Schengen Area. For multiple entry visas, where the insured travels several times to the Schengen area, the travel medical insurance must as minimum cover the first planned stay in Schengen. It is the responsibility of the traveller to take out sufficient insurance for subsequent trips. D) The proof of travel insurance must explicitly specify that the applicant is covered and must explicitly state that the insurance covers abroad. E) Some travellers have travel insurance through their credit card. Also in this case, the provided documentation must specify that the applicant is covered by the travel insurance. It is not sufficient to submit a copy of the general insurance terms, if the terms do not somehow make it clear that the applicant is covered. F) One way of proving that the applicant is covered by a travel medical insurance through their credit card, could be by combining the set of general insurance terms with a signed statement from the insurance company or the from the credit card company where it is specified that this particular person is covered. In case of a company credit card, a signed statement from the applicant’s employer can be used instead.

Proof of accommodation: Room reservation or proof of sufficient means to cover the applicant's accommodation in the intended country or countries in Schengen. For example hotel reservation or a recent bank statement from a bank account in the applicant’s own name. If the accommodation is sponsored by the inviting reference in Denmark, the signed invitation letter must state this fact. In that case, the Embassy may require the inviting party to provide proof of sufficient funds to host the applicant. Tourist travellers who do not have an inviting reference in Denmark must provide proof of reservation of hotel or other accommodation.

Proof that the applicant possesses sufficient means of subsistence: Both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to the applicant’s country of origin or residence. For example a recent bank statement from a bank account in the applicant’s own name. If the journey and subsistence is sponsored by the inviting reference in Denmark, the signed invitation letter must state this fact. In that case, the Embassy may require the inviting party to provide proof of sufficient funds to host the applicant.

Contact information to a reference in Denmark: Physical address, email and telephone number to the reference. Tourist travellers, who do not have an inviting reference, must provide contact information to hotels or similar accommodation where the applicant has made reservation and will be staying. If the applicant is invited to Denmark by an organization located outside Denmark, it is the responsibility of the applicant also to provide contact information to a cooperating partner or organizer of the venue in Denmark. It is not sufficient to only provide a reference to a contact in a third country without also providing a reference in Denmark. Please note: If the Embassy attempts to contact the inviting reference in Denmark, and is either unable to reach the contact by phone within 5 days, or if the Embassy receives no email reply from the contact within 5 days, the application may be rejected on grounds of insufficient documentation. It is the responsibility of the applicant that the Embassy is able to get in contact with the inviting reference in Denmark.

Proof of connection to Japan: All applicants must provide proof that they have a relevant connection to Japan. The purpose of the proof is to establish without doubt the ability and intention of the applicant to leave the Schengen area at the expiry of the visa. Required documentation is as minimum: A) A copy of the applicant's certificate of residence (juuminhyou), no more than 3 months old, and a translation of the certificate into English. B) A valid Japanese residence card. The card must be valid for at least three months longer than the intended stay in the Schengen area.

Proof of return to Japan: If the applicant's stay in Japan ends in connection with the applicant's visit to Schengen, and the applicant therefore has no plans of returning to Japan after the stay in Schengen, the application will automatically be submitted to the Danish Immigration Service for decision. This process takes much longer time than the usual application time, and often more than 60 days. Applicants who are not returning to Japan should therefore apply 3 months before leaving for Schengen. Such applicants must have a residence card or visa to Japan which is valid at least until the departure to Schengen. Please note, this only relates to applicants who permanently end their stay in Japan after the stay in Schengen. Applicants who temporarily visit their home country after their stay in Schengen, and then return to Japan, only need to proof that they have the ability and intention to return to Japan afterwards, by complying with the other requirements in this list.

Proof of stable income: Documentation that the applicant has access to a regular income to sustain a living. This is most commonly a bankbook in the name of the applicant proving an income history of minimum 3 months back from the date of application. If the applicant is a dependent, the person who vouches financially for the applicant must provide the proof of a stable income. In that case, a signed copy of the provider's passport data page, and a signed statement declaring that the applicant is a dependent of that person must also be submitted. Depending on the situation, the Embassy may ask the applicant or the provider to submit further documentation. If the applicant or the provider is not able to submit a bank book, the applicant must submit a bank statement in English, less than 1 month old, and a certificate of salary from the applicant's employer, or a certificate of grant/scholarship from the applicant's institution of enrolment, also less than 1 month old.

Proof of employment or enrolment in an educational institution: A) For employees: Certificate of employment (zaishoku shoumeisho) and contact information to the employer (telephone and email). B) For self-employeed: Tax declaration (zeikin shinkokusho) or company registration (kaisha toukibo). C) For students: Certificate of enrolment (zaigaku shoumeisho) and contact information to the institution (telephone and email). In all cases, the document must be submitted together with a translation in English.

Proof of family relationship to relatives in Japan: If the applicant is married to a Japanese national, the family register (koseki touhon) must be submitted. The document must be less than 3 months old and accompanied by a translation in English. If none of the applicant’s live-in relatives in Japan have Japanese nationality, the applicant must provide additional documentation, proving the family relationship (for example marriage certificate for a spouse or a birth certificate for a child). Additionally, copies of the passport data pages, and if non-Japanese also copies of residence cards, must be provided for all family members who live together with the applicant in Japan. If the applicant has non-Japanese relatives living in Japan but they do not live together, the applicant should attempt to provide a juuminhyo for these family members as well, if possible. It is not obligatory to provide copies of personal documents or juuminhyou for relatives who are not living with the applicant, but if these documents can be provided, it helps determine the applicant's connection to Japan.

Not living in Japan: If the applicant is not registered as living in Japan (only in Japan on short term visa) or the applicant returns directly to another country than Japan after the stay in Schengen (as specified in the point "Proof of return to Japan" above), the Danish Immigration Service will require further documentation, in addition to the documentation mentioned above. The applicant should be prepared that the Danish Immigration Service may require that documentation of address, employment, or enrolment in a third country is legalized by the authorities of the country to which the applicant returns. The processing time for applications where the applicant is not registered as living in Japan or returns to another country than Japan, will typically be much longer than 15 days, often more than 60 days.

Additional list of documents depending on the purpose of travel:

Visiting family /friends: Signed invitation letter from the host in Denmark or a digitally signed invitation. In case of a signed letter a copy of the host`s passport (data page) must be included. If the host is not a Danish citizen, then also a copy of the host’s residence permit in Denmark.

Business travel: Signed invitation letter from the host company in Denmark or a digitally signed invitation.

Participation in a course or a conference: Confirmation letter by the applicant's employer or institution of enrolment, that the applicant is accepted to attend the course or the conference, as well as proof of paid registration fee, if a fee is paid.

Tourist. Proof of accommodation. For tourist purposes, in addition to documentation of sufficient funds, the documentation must include reservations for accommodation for the entire stay (for example hotel or tour booking).

Other purposes: Proof of the purpose of the stay and reservation for accommodation. Further information about proof of the purpose of the journey can be found in the Visa Code Handbook section 6.2 and subsections.

Note about airline tickets: It is not mandatory to provide an airline ticket in order to apply for a visa to Schengen at the Danish Embassy in Tokyo. However, some airlines demand that travellers are in possession of a return ticket. The Embassy has no influence on any such requirements and can give no guidance in this regard. Applicants must check the airlines' requirements themselves.